The European Union Delegation in partnership with Alliance francaise de Kotte, British Council, Embassy of France, Goethe Institut, Embassy of Italy, Embassy of the Netherlands, Embassy of Norway, Consulate of Poland and Embassy of Switzerland in Sri Lanka officially launched the European Film Festival 2012 at a media conference to be held at the European Union Delegation in Colombo on Thursday, 15 November 2012, 3.00 pm.

This is the fifth consecutive year that this festival is taking place in Sri Lanka and this year the organising committee is chaired by the European Union Delegation in Colombo and coordinated by Agenda 14.  Like in the past, the National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka join hands as a partner of this year’s European Film Festival too.

As Sri Lanka marks the 50th anniversary of its own Tamil language cinema, this year’s festival will be opened with the screening of Sri Lankan Tamil language film ‘Ini Avan’ (Him, Here, After) by Asoka Handagama.  ‘Ini Avan’ has been screened at European film festivals in France, Germany and UK. The most recently released and highly acclaimed 14 European films from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Switzerland and UK will be screened  this year. Screening schedule includes ‘Black Venus’ and 2 days in Paris(France),’ The Deep Blue Sea’ and Salmon fishing in Yeman (UK), ‘4 Days in May’ and Schlafkrankheit (Germany),’Mary and Johnny’ and My words, my life, my love(Switzerland), ‘Bon Voyage’ and ‘Sonny Boy’ (the Netherlands), ‘Limbo’ and ‘The Khatokeino Rebellion’(Norway),  ‘80 Millions’(Poland). ‘Into Paradiso’, the closing film of this year’s festival is an Italian film  about a scientist from Naples; a shy and clumsy man and a fascinating former Sri Lankan cricket champion who has just arrived in Naples penniless.

The festival in Colombo will be open for public from 01 to 07 December 2012 with screenings each day at 3:30p.m. and 6:30 pm at the National Film Corporation Cinema, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 07. Entrance for all the films will be free of charge.

Thereafter the festival will travel to Kegalle and Jaffna. The festival programme in each location includes a total of o4 films; 03 European films and Sri Lankan film ‘Ini Avan’.

Kegalle, St. Joseph’s Balika Maha Vidyalaya (Primary) Auditorium - 08 December 2012, 9.30am-8.30pm

Jaffna, Centre for Performing Arts -15 December 2012, 9.30am-8.30pm

This festival is a shared international cultural experience that aims to promote a friendly relationship and to increase the mutual understanding between European Nations and Sri Lanka.

For further information contac t: Anomaa Rajakaruna, Festival Curator, Tel.: +94777879911, email: anomaaraj@gmail.com